The Wall Street Journal recently delivered some great news for truck drivers: many trucking companies are raising rates for drivers amid rising demand and a reopening economy. Unfortunately, some trucking companies may be breaking the law as reported by FreightWaves to avoid hiring drivers in the US.
The rule that some companies and drivers are breaking is related to B-1 Visas, but where are these drivers coming from and why is this bad for American drivers?
What is a B-1 Visa?
A B-1 Visa is a business-traveler visa that allows commercial drivers from Canada or Mexico to make runs in the US. But here’s the catch: The driver with a B-1 can only do hauls across the border.
Drivers with a B-1 Visa cannot do a point-to-point run within the United States. A B-1 driver can pick up in Canada and deliver to the US. The driver can pick up in Mexico and deliver in the US. The driver can even pick up in Canada and drive the load to Mexico, and vice versa.
But no hauls that run solely within the United States.
These rules exist to prevent foreign nationals from competing with US-based drivers, which would depress wages.
How Are Trucking Companies and Drivers Abusing B-1 Visas?
When violating a B-1 Visa, what usually happens is that the driver enters the US legally on the visa. The driver then makes their initial legal run, but what happens next breaks the rules.
Drivers are then staying in the United States after making their delivery, and trucking companies are hiring these drivers to make runs for far cheaper than their American counterparts.
Some Mexican trucking companies have even hired drivers in Mexico, but they have gotten their drivers US license plates. Then the driver is sent to live in their truck in the US and get work in this country.
Consequences
The ramifications of B-1 Visa abuse are numerous. First, the practice can send rates plummeting for other drivers and competing companies.
Another problem is safety. Drivers who are making illegal runs and working illegally in the country are less likely to report safety issues or go to authorities with a problem.
Finally, this practice hurts the tax base generated by the trucking industry.